Open Day stories

Spring Open Day this year was very different for me as I was not  'on duty' with 6201 - Lizzy.

Most of the engines were 'in steam' again ...................

 .......... small ones .....

...... large ones .....

......small traction engines ....

.... large traction engines ....

..... and lots of visitors in the garden.

One little boy, visiting with his Grandad, had a tomato in his lunch pack and didn't want it ..... really didn't want it!!


I found it three days later ........

it is there .....

really is .......

told you so .........



Ha! Ha!             A good day was had by all!

First Crop of Gooseberries

I didn't expect to be harvesting fruit this year from my gooseberry bushes as they were only planted earlier this year....... remember ......

Back in February ............ 

...... the space cleared .......

......  then the small bushes planted in March.

Now when I checked them over, I found one or two juicy berries waiting there to be picked .........

 ..... so pick them I did!!!




Not all of these beautiful green berries made it home unfortunately ......

..... and they had nearly all disappeared by bedtime!!!!

New Birdie in the Garden

Whilst we were all sitting in the garden chatting about this and that, cuddling and munching Dexter,we had a visitor to the bird bath.


He flew in and quite startled us, we couldn't believe  what we were seeing, but he carried on oblivious!!!

He didn't even stand on the side and check carefully around, oh! No! straight in  ......





.....  a good bath he had come for and a good bath he was having .....



Then into the apple tree he flew, had a good shake and shiver, then flew off and away............


We checked him out in our birdie book and think he was a Goldcrest.



What about Dexter you ask?  He slept all through it ............

Of Signal Boxes and Fences ....

Now that the Signal Box is almost finished the next job project is about to start ......

All the fencing round the Gardens are to be painted!!

There are a fair few feet of fencing to be done ....... and it hasn't been done for years!!

The fence lineside has been started, now the next part needs to be done.

When we first started working in the garden we couldn't see the fence  ............

Back in the Spring this was how it all looked .......

Now you can't paint a fence that can't be seen ......

I cut and pruned and swept and cut  and pruned and ........ now this is how it looks .........

Should be much easier to paint now.  

My two visitors appreciated all the hard work ....


...... another Cinnabar .......


.... and the resident cat!!

I will update when the fence is finished .......

Blasted Heron!!!

If I could I would ..... blast that heron!
He was round here again over the weekend, the old crow chased him off but it has left us both paranoid now .... what if the crow goes to sleep?!?!?  All our lovely fish ...... What then .... 

So it was decided that we will build a frame, I 'll agree to the design but PJ will build - sounds fair, I mean, they are his fish!!!

So PJ spent all day, well, what was left after he had sorted S's garden for her!  He had gone into the village after S's garden, bought some hooks and things, then started to work...... collecting his wood, netting .... 

 At the end of the day our fish were safe, we have a 'cage' round the big pond and we will be able to sleep safely at night!

With a rigid netting on top and soft, nylon netting to the sides, we can still see the fish, but the heron cannot get any for his breakfast.
Then came the finishing touch - butterfly solar lights along the top edge!!!    

..... and the going in and out, in and out, of the house at twilight so that we could see the lights changing colours!!!

.... as our daughter would say ..... Happy Days!

Wedding!

Our Goddaughter's eldest son married his soulmate in June and we were invited.
We were staying at Battleborough Grange where the wedding was taking place and we were really looking forward to it.  It was a bit of a rush getting sorted after our trip to Paris for Ian's birthday but  ........ That's how it is!

We travelled down early in the morning having decided it would be better to get there early and rest up for a couple of hours.  Upon arrival we were shown to the ground floor bedroom, which I must admit was rather large.  It was a twin room, the bathroom was opposite and was a large wet room - quite a surprise but good to have so much room.

We joined with the other guests so that we had time to mingle and catch up .........  The service was beautiful, the bride stunning, the attendants gorgeous and the ring bearer adorable!!!







There were several unusual touches - chalkboards being one..... or two ..... or three!!








This board was on a table in the entrance to the garden ..... along with an actual Guest book.





 As always there was the first dance.........

 There was a photo booth and the challenge was taken up by several guests ......

As the evening wore on more and more dancers hit the dance floor including the Bride and Father-in-Law ...............

Before long it was time for the weary to depart and, as we had another long day ahead of us, a good night's sleep.

We started off early after a good breakfast to meet up with WOYWW Hostess Julia for a coffee and piece of cake (!!) so there was a long drive to get there.  It was longer then we thought as the traffice going past Stonehenge was very slow going, everyone including ourselves slowing down to see .......

Scotland for a train ride

After the wedding in Scotland, we were not looking forward to the long journey home but at least we could have some time on the railway.  

We reached the railway and drove onto the carpark, a great expanse of gravel.  

As in our own railway in Tyseley, spare engines etc were stacked up at the end of the line.

We reached the platform and had a quick look around and then boarded our train.

We were pulled by a diesel engine, a first heritage diesel ride for me, and I found it to be very smooth and quiet.  Quite disarming!

The engine was quite a way along the track as there three carriages but we only entered the catering carriage so that we could have a coffee and slice of cake (catering usually makes for increased funds).  



The coach was very accommodating, the cafe bar set up at one end and the seating area had very clean, tartan upholstery. 

The seats were very comfortable, and we trundled a short way through the Scottish countryside, admiring the views.






Along the way we saw an old shed  and a spare line where the steam engine almost seemed to be waiting .....





We went into the shop after our little trip and found out that the Shopkeeper (Station Master) came from Birmingham, not far from where we live now.  We laughed when he told us that he then moved to Leighton Buzzard before ending up in Scotland .... the journeys that PJ and I had made!

Black Currants

Early one morning I went out early and picked all the Black Currants from our bushes.
  
This is their second year in our garden and the first year in their row next to the Raspberries.  

There were quite a few alterations made to the garden when it was decided that 'we' needed a second greenhouse but hopefully the green house will find a new home before next spring and the bushes will be pruned and planted in a permanent place.

If you can see the red square in the photo you can see that the raspberries have yet to be planted in their rows .......

I have about two and a half pounds of prepared black currants ready to be 'topped and tailed'.  Once I have patiently done this - hopefully while watching tv - I shall transform them into jam.

After yesterday's post I can only assume that will be early one morning!!  It is not jam making weather but soft fruit does not keep so although the bowl is in the fridge, I know that time is of the essence.

Summer Heat

I am posting this just so that I can look back when we are in the middle of Winter!!!
I am a temperate girl - anywhere with the temperature between 14C to 20C and I am happy!  These summer temperatures are fine for drying washing and working outside in the shade, unfortunately they are not good for me!   I try not to go out in these temperatures and have been inside the house for five days, which means that I can catch up on a lot of my crafting and PC work, but enough is enough!  My sister would have loved these days, sitting out and 'browning' off her well lotioned body but me .......... I am a winter baby and need to be doing things, enjoying my life and getting out and about!!
I have still to finish my plant pots for the railway but this heat is tiring me out, and because I am so tensed up about it, I am in a lot of pain.  My mother lived with this pain all my life and was continually frustrated by the fact that she had to rest more than she worked.  I helped where I could but not for once did I suspect how it nagged and gnawed away at her, making her tired and irritable.  She tried all medications so I know that it is only resting that eases it, but it seems such a shame to waste the end days doing nothing!
So I am working on my PC (with cool fan going), and in my craft room so that I am near to my bed and can rest.  I am moaning - I have been told in no uncertain terms - but it would appear that this is the only relief I can get!!!
I thought that it would be cooler today after the cold rain we had yesterday - I was out in it, dancing and praising God - but today I am moaning!!!
I blame the fact that I live in England which has always been a temperate country and, because now that the gardens are being paved and the oxygen removed, we are suffering this great temperature change.  

I wish there could be a law that says we must keep our gardens and plant as much greenery as we can so that we raise the oxygen levels over this country, but big business will be blamed and no-one will notice that we have a lot more 'car parks' then gardens........  see moaning again!!!

Guess who came to Grandma's house?

The first visit of our Grandson has to be blogged!!! 

 

As you can all imagine we had a great time.  

The journey was long and poor Mommy had to do all the work while Dexter ..........

....... Dexter was Dexter!

He did wake up and we both had a munch, plenty of hands to cuddle so that Mommy had a rest.
Dexter is now starting to focus and caused much amusement as he looks at us and then looks again, trying to get the focus right - won't be long now. 
 


It's very tiring though so maybe a sleep now until next time!!!